ruggedscout91 said:And who exactly is supposed to document that you couldn't get an appointment in the public system within thirty days when you need surgery in ten?
Furthermore, who is going to tell dentists to stop bleeding people dry just because they have supplemental insurance?
The same applies to gynecologists, where you see on this forum that the exact same services are charged differently based on $67 price fluctuations and whether or not there’s a receipt.
Where is the oversight in the healthcare system?
There isn't any.
And there isn't any because the system is designed to let patients bleed money constantly for several reasons: paying healthcare taxes, paying for supplemental insurance, regularly buying almost all medications—even those covered by insurance—because sometimes it's cheaper to just buy them at a local pharmacy than to drive to a doctor, pay for gas, and wait for hours. Then there's paying for EVERY SINGLE BREAST ULTRASOUND because I haven't met a single woman who could actually get that exam done using a standard referral. Or paying for every ultrasound related to gynecological issues (prices are roughly similar). Or paying for CT scans (I don't recall anyone being able to get a CT scan regularly because they say the machines at the Split General Hospital are reserved for inpatient use two months in advance). Instead, they just refer you straight to a private clinic without mentioning any benefits.
Because heaven forbid you are sick; you are punished by God and find yourself in this situation:
- They denied me 20% of my paycheck for both months (sick leave due to extensive surgery caused exclusively by the error of my private-social gynecologist back in MA,
- I paid for a private CT scan (which they begrudgingly acknowledged $27 during tax returns), even though I am the sole provider for my family.
- I regularly paid for travel to and from MA, and the State finally recognized those costs,
- Along with several other minor expenses,
A sick person in America who isn't wealthy has zero motivation to seek treatment in a system that looks social on the surface but isn't.
I would rather express my preference for something else, such as:
- That instead of monthly healthcare taxes, the money stays in my savings account. I could have easily saved $0.00 just for this surgery, since I don't use the public system except for preventative checkups, which I pay for privately. The same goes for the dentist.
- That I'm not asked for supplemental insurance premiums for the reasons mentioned above.
- Considering I rarely even use necessary medications (sometimes I just buy Vitamin C), which supports my point.
If they fear certain illnesses so much that we are forced to act proactively by paying into a healthcare system for services that haven't been provided in 15 years—and even when they are provided, they are paid to a private practitioner—then they should realize that people want to know what they are paying for.
So, 15 years of paying $4000 = $0.00
(at the very least). So, 15 years of $400 = $6000 (supplemental insurance)
So, 15 years of 10 x breast ultrasounds = 10 x 250 = $833
So, 15 years of 13 x pelvic ultrasounds = 13 x 250 = $1083.
So, 15 years of dental work: scaling $200.00, 3 fillings x $50 = $50.
Hormone therapy with red clover phytoestrogens, 7 months x $35 = $245.
CT scan of the lower pelvis (without contrast) = $267.
In short, a perfectly healthy person who ended up needing major surgery due to her gynecologist's mistake—to whom she had consistently paid for ultrasounds and visits—has left this healthcare system with over > in 15 years, despite having no medical interventions other than two fillings and one dental cleaning.
205 $0.00.
What happens then to the sick? Or to those patients whom a Doctor actually demands cash from just to perform a surgery—an occurrence that is far too common nowadays?
It all points to one thing: poor organization and an overpriced healthcare system.
I could have kept that money in my own account, using it whenever necessary and choosing my own care based on my family's specific genetics and medical needs. Had I saved what I could over the years, I would be sitting here with $136667. I could have navigated all the misery and stress I endured whenever I had to rely on the healthcare system without a single worry.
When you book an appointment, just ask for confirmation of the date they scheduled your screening.
ruggedscout91 said:And who exactly is supposed to document that you couldn't get an appointment in the public system within thirty days when you need surgery in ten?
Furthermore, who is going to tell dentists to stop bleeding people dry just because they have supplemental insurance?
The same applies to gynecologists, where you see on this forum that the exact same services are charged differently based on $67 price fluctuations and whether or not there’s a receipt.
Where is the oversight in the healthcare system?
There isn't any.
And there isn't any because the system is designed to let patients bleed money constantly for several reasons: paying healthcare taxes, paying for supplemental insurance, regularly buying almost all medications—even those covered by insurance—because sometimes it's cheaper to just buy them at a local pharmacy than to drive to a doctor, pay for gas, and wait for hours. Then there's paying for EVERY SINGLE BREAST ULTRASOUND because I haven't met a single woman who could actually get that exam done using a standard referral. Or paying for every ultrasound related to gynecological issues (prices are roughly similar). Or paying for CT scans (I don't recall anyone being able to get a CT scan regularly because they say the machines at the Split General Hospital are reserved for inpatient use two months in advance). Instead, they just refer you straight to a private clinic without mentioning any benefits.
Because heaven forbid you are sick; you are punished by God and find yourself in this situation:
- They denied me 20% of my paycheck for both months (sick leave due to extensive surgery caused exclusively by the error of my private-social gynecologist back in MA,
- I paid for a private CT scan (which they begrudgingly acknowledged $27 during tax returns), even though I am the sole provider for my family.
- I regularly paid for travel to and from MA, and the State finally recognized those costs,
- Along with several other minor expenses,
A sick person in America who isn't wealthy has zero motivation to seek treatment in a system that looks social on the surface but isn't.
I would rather express my preference for something else, such as:
- That instead of monthly healthcare taxes, the money stays in my savings account. I could have easily saved $0.00 just for this surgery, since I don't use the public system except for preventative checkups, which I pay for privately. The same goes for the dentist.
- That I'm not asked for supplemental insurance premiums for the reasons mentioned above.
- Considering I rarely even use necessary medications (sometimes I just buy Vitamin C), which supports my point.
If they fear certain illnesses so much that we are forced to act proactively by paying into a healthcare system for services that haven't been provided in 15 years—and even when they are provided, they are paid to a private practitioner—then they should realize that people want to know what they are paying for.
So, 15 years of paying $4000 = $0.00
(at the very least). So, 15 years of $400 = $6000 (supplemental insurance)
So, 15 years of 10 x breast ultrasounds = 10 x 250 = $833
So, 15 years of 13 x pelvic ultrasounds = 13 x 250 = $1083.
So, 15 years of dental work: scaling $200.00, 3 fillings x $50 = $50.
Hormone therapy with red clover phytoestrogens, 7 months x $35 = $245.
CT scan of the lower pelvis (without contrast) = $267.
In short, a perfectly healthy person who ended up needing major surgery due to her gynecologist's mistake—to whom she had consistently paid for ultrasounds and visits—has left this healthcare system with over > in 15 years, despite having no medical interventions other than two fillings and one dental cleaning.
205 $0.00.
What happens then to the sick? Or to those patients whom a Doctor actually demands cash from just to perform a surgery—an occurrence that is far too common nowadays?
It all points to one thing: poor organization and an overpriced healthcare system.
I could have kept that money in my own account, using it whenever necessary and choosing my own care based on my family's specific genetics and medical needs. Had I saved what I could over the years, I would be sitting here with $136667. I could have navigated all the misery and stress I endured whenever I had to rely on the healthcare system without a single worry.
For all those situations, there's a Medicare inspection team that is REQUIRED to investigate upon report and punish the chosen doctor if necessary. You can even file a complaint online.
And you know why this keeps happening?
Because people take the path of least resistance. Because they're scared to report a doctor and their misconduct.
Because people don't ask for receipts for services rendered (if they don't give me a receipt, I'm not paying the tax).
Because people just don't know their rights as patients.
Because... there are endless possible reasons.
The bottom line is that nobody is going to look out for our rights unless we do it ourselves.
ruggedscout91 said:And who exactly is supposed to document that you couldn't get an appointment in the public system within thirty days when you need surgery in ten?
Furthermore, who is going to tell dentists to stop bleeding people dry just because they have supplemental insurance?
The same applies to gynecologists, where you see on this forum that the exact same services are charged differently based on $67 price fluctuations and whether or not there’s a receipt.
Where is the oversight in the healthcare system?
There isn't any.
And there isn't any because the system is designed to let patients bleed money constantly for several reasons: paying healthcare taxes, paying for supplemental insurance, regularly buying almost all medications—even those covered by insurance—because sometimes it's cheaper to just buy them at a local pharmacy than to drive to a doctor, pay for gas, and wait for hours. Then there's paying for EVERY SINGLE BREAST ULTRASOUND because I haven't met a single woman who could actually get that exam done using a standard referral. Or paying for every ultrasound related to gynecological issues (prices are roughly similar). Or paying for CT scans (I don't recall anyone being able to get a CT scan regularly because they say the machines at the Split General Hospital are reserved for inpatient use two months in advance). Instead, they just refer you straight to a private clinic without mentioning any benefits.
Because heaven forbid you are sick; you are punished by God and find yourself in this situation:
- They denied me 20% of my paycheck for both months (sick leave due to extensive surgery caused exclusively by the error of my private-social gynecologist back in MA,
- I paid for a private CT scan (which they begrudgingly acknowledged $27 during tax returns), even though I am the sole provider for my family.
- I regularly paid for travel to and from MA, and the State finally recognized those costs,
- Along with several other minor expenses,
A sick person in America who isn't wealthy has zero motivation to seek treatment in a system that looks social on the surface but isn't.
I would rather express my preference for something else, such as:
- That instead of monthly healthcare taxes, the money stays in my savings account. I could have easily saved $0.00 just for this surgery, since I don't use the public system except for preventative checkups, which I pay for privately. The same goes for the dentist.
- That I'm not asked for supplemental insurance premiums for the reasons mentioned above.
- Considering I rarely even use necessary medications (sometimes I just buy Vitamin C), which supports my point.
If they fear certain illnesses so much that we are forced to act proactively by paying into a healthcare system for services that haven't been provided in 15 years—and even when they are provided, they are paid to a private practitioner—then they should realize that people want to know what they are paying for.
So, 15 years of paying $4000 = $0.00
(at the very least). So, 15 years of $400 = $6000 (supplemental insurance)
So, 15 years of 10 x breast ultrasounds = 10 x 250 = $833
So, 15 years of 13 x pelvic ultrasounds = 13 x 250 = $1083.
So, 15 years of dental work: scaling $200.00, 3 fillings x $50 = $50.
Hormone therapy with red clover phytoestrogens, 7 months x $35 = $245.
CT scan of the lower pelvis (without contrast) = $267.
In short, a perfectly healthy person who ended up needing major surgery due to her gynecologist's mistake—to whom she had consistently paid for ultrasounds and visits—has left this healthcare system with over > in 15 years, despite having no medical interventions other than two fillings and one dental cleaning.
205 $0.00.
What happens then to the sick? Or to those patients whom a Doctor actually demands cash from just to perform a surgery—an occurrence that is far too common nowadays?
It all points to one thing: poor organization and an overpriced healthcare system.
I could have kept that money in my own account, using it whenever necessary and choosing my own care based on my family's specific genetics and medical needs. Had I saved what I could over the years, I would be sitting here with $136667. I could have navigated all the misery and stress I endured whenever I had to rely on the healthcare system without a single worry.
Look, I know someone. My wife has had several ultrasounds... Of course, she didn't pay a dime—aside from the co-pay (since she doesn't have supplemental insurance).
She also has a gynecologist (private, but works through the state system) where you can get an appointment the next day if it's urgent, and the ultrasound is covered $6.75. Besides, that guy delivered her second baby.
But honestly, maybe all this is just a result of where you live (not trying to be rude). In a place like Varazdin, the kind of situations you're listing are actually pretty rare.
ruggedscout91 said:And who exactly is supposed to document that you couldn't get an appointment in the public system within thirty days when you need surgery in ten?
Furthermore, who is going to tell dentists to stop bleeding people dry just because they have supplemental insurance?
The same applies to gynecologists, where you see on this forum that the exact same services are charged differently based on $67 price fluctuations and whether or not there’s a receipt.
Where is the oversight in the healthcare system?
There isn't any.
And there isn't any because the system is designed to let patients bleed money constantly for several reasons: paying healthcare taxes, paying for supplemental insurance, regularly buying almost all medications—even those covered by insurance—because sometimes it's cheaper to just buy them at a local pharmacy than to drive to a doctor, pay for gas, and wait for hours. Then there's paying for EVERY SINGLE BREAST ULTRASOUND because I haven't met a single woman who could actually get that exam done using a standard referral. Or paying for every ultrasound related to gynecological issues (prices are roughly similar). Or paying for CT scans (I don't recall anyone being able to get a CT scan regularly because they say the machines at the Split General Hospital are reserved for inpatient use two months in advance). Instead, they just refer you straight to a private clinic without mentioning any benefits.
Because heaven forbid you are sick; you are punished by God and find yourself in this situation:
- They denied me 20% of my paycheck for both months (sick leave due to extensive surgery caused exclusively by the error of my private-social gynecologist back in MA,
- I paid for a private CT scan (which they begrudgingly acknowledged $27 during tax returns), even though I am the sole provider for my family.
- I regularly paid for travel to and from MA, and the State finally recognized those costs,
- Along with several other minor expenses,
A sick person in America who isn't wealthy has zero motivation to seek treatment in a system that looks social on the surface but isn't.
I would rather express my preference for something else, such as:
- That instead of monthly healthcare taxes, the money stays in my savings account. I could have easily saved $0.00 just for this surgery, since I don't use the public system except for preventative checkups, which I pay for privately. The same goes for the dentist.
- That I'm not asked for supplemental insurance premiums for the reasons mentioned above.
- Considering I rarely even use necessary medications (sometimes I just buy Vitamin C), which supports my point.
If they fear certain illnesses so much that we are forced to act proactively by paying into a healthcare system for services that haven't been provided in 15 years—and even when they are provided, they are paid to a private practitioner—then they should realize that people want to know what they are paying for.
So, 15 years of paying $4000 = $0.00
(at the very least). So, 15 years of $400 = $6000 (supplemental insurance)
So, 15 years of 10 x breast ultrasounds = 10 x 250 = $833
So, 15 years of 13 x pelvic ultrasounds = 13 x 250 = $1083.
So, 15 years of dental work: scaling $200.00, 3 fillings x $50 = $50.
Hormone therapy with red clover phytoestrogens, 7 months x $35 = $245.
CT scan of the lower pelvis (without contrast) = $267.
In short, a perfectly healthy person who ended up needing major surgery due to her gynecologist's mistake—to whom she had consistently paid for ultrasounds and visits—has left this healthcare system with over > in 15 years, despite having no medical interventions other than two fillings and one dental cleaning.
205 $0.00.
What happens then to the sick? Or to those patients whom a Doctor actually demands cash from just to perform a surgery—an occurrence that is far too common nowadays?
It all points to one thing: poor organization and an overpriced healthcare system.
I could have kept that money in my own account, using it whenever necessary and choosing my own care based on my family's specific genetics and medical needs. Had I saved what I could over the years, I would be sitting here with $136667. I could have navigated all the misery and stress I endured whenever I had to rely on the healthcare system without a single worry.
That’s just not how it works. How would people deal with chronic, lifelong illnesses then?
Take kidney dialysis, for example—that costs $50000 a year, right?
What happens once you burn through those $66667 sitting in your account?
The healthcare system has to be built on solidarity, and that requires the way contributions are collected.
ruggedscout91 said:And who exactly is supposed to document that you couldn't get an appointment in the public system within thirty days when you need surgery in ten?
Furthermore, who is going to tell dentists to stop bleeding people dry just because they have supplemental insurance?
The same applies to gynecologists, where you see on this forum that the exact same services are charged differently based on $67 price fluctuations and whether or not there’s a receipt.
Where is the oversight in the healthcare system?
There isn't any.
And there isn't any because the system is designed to let patients bleed money constantly for several reasons: paying healthcare taxes, paying for supplemental insurance, regularly buying almost all medications—even those covered by insurance—because sometimes it's cheaper to just buy them at a local pharmacy than to drive to a doctor, pay for gas, and wait for hours. Then there's paying for EVERY SINGLE BREAST ULTRASOUND because I haven't met a single woman who could actually get that exam done using a standard referral. Or paying for every ultrasound related to gynecological issues (prices are roughly similar). Or paying for CT scans (I don't recall anyone being able to get a CT scan regularly because they say the machines at the Split General Hospital are reserved for inpatient use two months in advance). Instead, they just refer you straight to a private clinic without mentioning any benefits.
Because heaven forbid you are sick; you are punished by God and find yourself in this situation:
- They denied me 20% of my paycheck for both months (sick leave due to extensive surgery caused exclusively by the error of my private-social gynecologist back in MA,
- I paid for a private CT scan (which they begrudgingly acknowledged $27 during tax returns), even though I am the sole provider for my family.
- I regularly paid for travel to and from MA, and the State finally recognized those costs,
- Along with several other minor expenses,
A sick person in America who isn't wealthy has zero motivation to seek treatment in a system that looks social on the surface but isn't.
I would rather express my preference for something else, such as:
- That instead of monthly healthcare taxes, the money stays in my savings account. I could have easily saved $0.00 just for this surgery, since I don't use the public system except for preventative checkups, which I pay for privately. The same goes for the dentist.
- That I'm not asked for supplemental insurance premiums for the reasons mentioned above.
- Considering I rarely even use necessary medications (sometimes I just buy Vitamin C), which supports my point.
If they fear certain illnesses so much that we are forced to act proactively by paying into a healthcare system for services that haven't been provided in 15 years—and even when they are provided, they are paid to a private practitioner—then they should realize that people want to know what they are paying for.
So, 15 years of paying $4000 = $0.00
(at the very least). So, 15 years of $400 = $6000 (supplemental insurance)
So, 15 years of 10 x breast ultrasounds = 10 x 250 = $833
So, 15 years of 13 x pelvic ultrasounds = 13 x 250 = $1083.
So, 15 years of dental work: scaling $200.00, 3 fillings x $50 = $50.
Hormone therapy with red clover phytoestrogens, 7 months x $35 = $245.
CT scan of the lower pelvis (without contrast) = $267.
In short, a perfectly healthy person who ended up needing major surgery due to her gynecologist's mistake—to whom she had consistently paid for ultrasounds and visits—has left this healthcare system with over > in 15 years, despite having no medical interventions other than two fillings and one dental cleaning.
205 $0.00.
What happens then to the sick? Or to those patients whom a Doctor actually demands cash from just to perform a surgery—an occurrence that is far too common nowadays?
It all points to one thing: poor organization and an overpriced healthcare system.
I could have kept that money in my own account, using it whenever necessary and choosing my own care based on my family's specific genetics and medical needs. Had I saved what I could over the years, I would be sitting here with $136667. I could have navigated all the misery and stress I endured whenever I had to rely on the healthcare system without a single worry.
Why not just opt out of the supplemental coverage?
For the exact reasons I mentioned before...
ruggedscout91 said:And who exactly is supposed to document that you couldn't get an appointment in the public system within thirty days when you need surgery in ten?
Furthermore, who is going to tell dentists to stop bleeding people dry just because they have supplemental insurance?
The same applies to gynecologists, where you see on this forum that the exact same services are charged differently based on $67 price fluctuations and whether or not there’s a receipt.
Where is the oversight in the healthcare system?
There isn't any.
And there isn't any because the system is designed to let patients bleed money constantly for several reasons: paying healthcare taxes, paying for supplemental insurance, regularly buying almost all medications—even those covered by insurance—because sometimes it's cheaper to just buy them at a local pharmacy than to drive to a doctor, pay for gas, and wait for hours. Then there's paying for EVERY SINGLE BREAST ULTRASOUND because I haven't met a single woman who could actually get that exam done using a standard referral. Or paying for every ultrasound related to gynecological issues (prices are roughly similar). Or paying for CT scans (I don't recall anyone being able to get a CT scan regularly because they say the machines at the Split General Hospital are reserved for inpatient use two months in advance). Instead, they just refer you straight to a private clinic without mentioning any benefits.
Because heaven forbid you are sick; you are punished by God and find yourself in this situation:
- They denied me 20% of my paycheck for both months (sick leave due to extensive surgery caused exclusively by the error of my private-social gynecologist back in MA,
- I paid for a private CT scan (which they begrudgingly acknowledged $27 during tax returns), even though I am the sole provider for my family.
- I regularly paid for travel to and from MA, and the State finally recognized those costs,
- Along with several other minor expenses,
A sick person in America who isn't wealthy has zero motivation to seek treatment in a system that looks social on the surface but isn't.
I would rather express my preference for something else, such as:
- That instead of monthly healthcare taxes, the money stays in my savings account. I could have easily saved $0.00 just for this surgery, since I don't use the public system except for preventative checkups, which I pay for privately. The same goes for the dentist.
- That I'm not asked for supplemental insurance premiums for the reasons mentioned above.
- Considering I rarely even use necessary medications (sometimes I just buy Vitamin C), which supports my point.
If they fear certain illnesses so much that we are forced to act proactively by paying into a healthcare system for services that haven't been provided in 15 years—and even when they are provided, they are paid to a private practitioner—then they should realize that people want to know what they are paying for.
So, 15 years of paying $4000 = $0.00
(at the very least). So, 15 years of $400 = $6000 (supplemental insurance)
So, 15 years of 10 x breast ultrasounds = 10 x 250 = $833
So, 15 years of 13 x pelvic ultrasounds = 13 x 250 = $1083.
So, 15 years of dental work: scaling $200.00, 3 fillings x $50 = $50.
Hormone therapy with red clover phytoestrogens, 7 months x $35 = $245.
CT scan of the lower pelvis (without contrast) = $267.
In short, a perfectly healthy person who ended up needing major surgery due to her gynecologist's mistake—to whom she had consistently paid for ultrasounds and visits—has left this healthcare system with over > in 15 years, despite having no medical interventions other than two fillings and one dental cleaning.
205 $0.00.
What happens then to the sick? Or to those patients whom a Doctor actually demands cash from just to perform a surgery—an occurrence that is far too common nowadays?
It all points to one thing: poor organization and an overpriced healthcare system.
I could have kept that money in my own account, using it whenever necessary and choosing my own care based on my family's specific genetics and medical needs. Had I saved what I could over the years, I would be sitting here with $136667. I could have navigated all the misery and stress I endured whenever I had to rely on the healthcare system without a single worry.
It’s definitely not perfect—it’s clearly poorly organized and expensive.
Obviously, we need better streamlining and tighter oversight.
I totally get why you're frustrated, but as patients, we kind of have to change our own behavior to force improvements. How many times have we been the ones handing "tips" or bribes to doctors and nurses?
We basically trained them to act that way, thinking they might treat us better if we grease their palms...